This invention relates to perfume components, mixtures thereof and perfume compositions, to personal products and detergent products containing such perfumes, and to the use of such perfumes and products to deliver a deodorant effect.
In particular, it relates to perfume components, mixtures thereof, and perfume compositions for inhibiting the production of odoriferous metabolites by topicaily applying to human skin perfumery components capable of inhibiting the production of odoriferous steroids by micro-organisms present on the skin surface by inhibiting bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5xcex1-reductase.
It is well known that freshly secreted sweat is odourless and that body malodour is the result of a biotransformation of the sweat by micro-organisms living on the surface of the skin to produce volatile odoriferous compounds.
There are three types of personal product routinely used to combat body malodour: perfumes, antiperspirants and deodorants.
Perfumes may simply mask body malodour. However perfume compositions have been disclosed which exhibit a deodorant action. EP-B-3172, EP-A-5618, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,304,4679, 4,322,308, 4,278,658, 4,134,838, 4,288,341 and 4,289,641 all describe perfume compositions which exhibit a deodorant action when applied to human skin or when included in a laundry product used to launder textiles.
Antiperspirants work by blocking the sweat glands thereby reducing perspiration.
Antimicrobial agents used in deodorants are designed to reduce the population of micro-organisms living on the surface of the skin. Typical agents of this nature include ethanol and Triclosan (2xe2x80x2,4,4xe2x80x2-trichloro-2-hydroxy-diphenyl ether) which are well known to exert antimicrobial effects. The use of common deodorant actives results in a non-selective antimicrobial action exerted upon most of the skin""s natural microflora. This is an undesirable disadvantage of such deodorant formulations.
Gower et al. (J Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol., (1994) Vol. 48, No. 4, pp 409-418) discloses the importance of certain bacterial enzymes involved in bacterial steroid metabolism in the production of odoriferous steroids.
Chen et al. (Dermatology, (1996) Vol. 193, pp 177-184) describes the importance of mammalian 5xcex1-reductase in seborrhoea, acne, female hirsutism and androgenic alopecia. It also discusses the potential use of 5xcex1-reductase inhibitors, in particular finasteride and turosteride in treatment of the above conditions.
Liao et al. (Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, (1995) Vol. 214, No. 3, pp 833-838) describes the selective inhibition of mammalian steroid 5xcex1-reductase.
Russell and Wilson (Annual Review of Biochemistry, (1994) Vol. 63, pp 25-61) describes the moderate efficacy of polyunsaturated fatty acids in inhibiting the mammalian 5xcex1-reductase enzymes. In particular it compares the ability of polyunsaturated fatty acids to inhibit these enzymes along with the inability of their mono-unsaturated and saturated counterparts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,559 (Colgate-Palmolive Company) discloses deodorant active materials having an effective amount of Znxe2x80x3 ions for inhibiting bacterial exoenzymes responsible for the production of axillary malodour. The bacterial exoenzymes are further characterised as aryl sulphatase or beta-glucuronidase.
DE-4343265 (Henkel) describes deodorant compositions comprising saturated dioic acid (C3-C10) esters. The active inhibits a sweat decomposing esterase and the compositions are said to not disturb the skin""s natural microflora.
WO 94/07837 (Unichema) describes certain novel unsaturated dioic acids having between 8 and 22 carbon atoms. The potential use of these acids to treat malodour is also described.
Accordingly, the invention provides a cosmetic method for reducing or preventing body malodour by topically applying to human skin a composition comprising an active agent capable of inhibiting the production of odoriferous steroids by micro-organisms on the skin surface, wherein the agent is a perfume component which is capable of inhibiting bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5xcex1-reductase.
The invention also provides the use of a perfume component to inhibit bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5xcex1-reductase.
The invention further provides the use of a perfume composition, comprising at least 30% by weight of one or more perfume components capable of inhibiting bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5-reductase, to reduce body malodour.
The invention further provides the use of a deodorant product, comprising a perfume component, to reduce body malodour by inhibiting bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5xcex1-reductase.
The invention further provides a perfume composition comprising at least 30% by weight of one or more of the following perfume components; (Z)-3,4,5,6,6-pentamethylhept-3-en-2-one, mixtures of diethyl- and dimethyl-cyclohex-2-en-1-one, citronellol, 2-methyl-3-(4-(1-methylethyl)phenyl)propanal, (2-(methyloxy)-4-propyl-1-benzenol), 4-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)cyclohex-3-ene--1-carbaldehyde, 3-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde, 3-(1,3-benzodioxol -5-yl)-2-methyl-propanal, xcex1-ionone, xcex2-ionone, 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)cyclohex -3-enecarbaldehyde, 3-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)-cyclohex-3-ene carbaldehyde, methyl iso-eugenol, tetrahydrolinalol, coriander, benzyl salicylate, dupical, phenyl ethyl alcohol, 9-decenol, clove leaf oil distilled, citral, vanillin, and a deodorant product comprising such a perfume composition.
The invention still further provides a method of producing a perfume composition which comprises (i) evaluating perfume components on the ability to inhibit bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5-reductase, (ii) selecting perfume components on the ability to inhibit bacterial 4-ene reductase and/or 5xcex1-reductase, and (iii) mixing together two or more of said selected perfume components, optionally with other perfume components.
The term xe2x80x9cperfume componentxe2x80x9d is used herein to represent a material which is added to a perfume to contribute to the olfactive properties of the perfume. A perfume component can be acceptably employed to provide odour contributions to the overall hedonic performance of products. Typicaily, a perfume component will be generally recognised as possessing odours in its own right, will be relatively volatile and open has a molecular weight within the range 100 to 300. Typical materials which are perfume components are described in xe2x80x9cPerfume and Flavour Chemicalsxe2x80x9d, Volumes I and II (Steffan Arctander, 1969). A perfume composition will contain a number of individual perfume components, and optionally a suitable diluent. The concentration of perfume components referred to herein is relative to the total concentration of perfume components present in the composition, ie excludes any diluent.
The cosmetic method according to the invention comprises topically applying to human skin active perfume components capable of inhibiting the production of odoriferous steroids by micro-organisms present on the skin surface. Preferably, the method reduces the production of odoriferous steroids sub-lethally. Preferably, the bacterial production of odoriferous steroids is reduced by at least 50%, more preferably by at least 70%, particularly by at least 80%, and especially by at least 90%, whilst preferably maintaining a cell viability of at least 70%, more preferably of at least 80%, and particularly of a. least 90%. The sub-lethal effect of a perfume component preferably occurs at concentrations below its minimum inhibitory concentration, determined as described in Example 1 below.
The perfume components used in the present invention are frequently incorporated into deodorant products which include, but are not limited to, body deodorants and antiperspirants including roll ons, gel products, stick deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, soaps, shower gels, talcum powder, hand creams, skin conditioners, sunscreens, sun tan lotions, skin and hair conditioners.
The perfume components may also be usefully employed for deodorant properties by incorporation into other products, for example, in to laundry and household products such as rinse conditioners, household cleaners and detergent cleaners. The perfume components can be incorporated into textiles themselves during their production using techniques known in the art, to provide deodorant protection.
It has been shown that the bacterial production of odoriferous steroids can be reduced or eliminated without significantly disturbing the skin""s natural microflora. This is achieved by inhibiting bacterial enzymes responsible for the production of odoriferous steroids, in particular the 16-androstenes.
It has also been shown that many inhibitors of mammalian 5xcex1-reductase, e.g. finasteride, are incapable of sub-lethally inhibiting the bacterial production of odoriferous steroids.
The odoriferous steroids which are inhibited by the method of the invention include the products or intermediates of bacterial steroid metabolism, in particular the 16 androstenes.
In a preferred method according to the invention, an Odour Reduction Value, measured as described in Example 3, of at least 10%, more preferably a; least 30%, and particularly at least 50% is obtained. The active perfume components may be mixed with other perfume components to deliver perfumes or perfume compositions with the desired deodorant and hedonistic properties. To deliver high deodorant effects the active components preferably comprise 30% or more of the total perfume formulation by weight, more preferably at least 40% and particularly at least 60%. A deodorant product preferably comprises at least 0.05% to 4%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% by weight of the active perfume components. Preferred actives include the following perfume components.
(Z)-3,4,5,6,6-pentamethylhept-3-en-2-one (Acetyl di iso amylene)
Mixtures of diethyl- and dimethyl-cyclohex-2-en-1-one (Azarbre)
Citronellol
2-methyl-3-(4-(1-methylethyl)phenyl)propanal (Cyclamen aldehyde)
(2-(methyloxy)-4-propyl-1-benzenol) (Dihydroeugenol)
4-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde (Empetaal)
3-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde (Empetaal)
3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methylpropanal (Helional)
xcex1-ionone, xcex2-ionone and mixtures thereof (Ionone)
4-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)cyclohex-3-enecarbaldehyde (Lyral)
3-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)cyclohex-3-enecarbaldehyde (Lyral)
Methyl iso-eugenol
Tetrahydrolinalol
Coriander
Benzyl Salicylate
Dupical
Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol
9-Decenol
Clove Leaf Oil Distilled
Citral
Vanillin.
A perfume composition for use in the present invention preferably comprises at least 5, more preferably at least 10, and particularly at least 15 of the above perfume components.